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| Members of the Korean Association of Edible Dog who work in the dog meat industry hold a rally to protest a proposed ban on their livelihood in front of the presidential office in Seoul's Yongsan District, Thursday. Newsis |
By Lee Hae-rin
Korea's dog meat traders condemned the first lady and animal rights groups' push to ban dog meat consumption, Thursday, urging the government to protect their livelihoods and people's freedom to choose what they eat.
Around 300 members of the Korean Association of Edible Dog from across the country assembled and held a rally in front of the presidential office in Seoul's Yongsan District.
"Over 10 million Koreans still consume dog meat and that's why we ― the dog farmers ― create and provide over 70,000 tons of dog meat every year. Oppressing these people's right to choose what they eat cannot be acceptable in a democratic society," the group said in a released statement.
Kim Byeong-guk, 30, the president of the group, told The Korea Times during the rally that animal advocacy groups, which he believes take advantage of animals to earn donations instead of protecting them, threaten dog meat farmers' livelihoods by trespassing on their property and threatening people's freedom to choose what they eat.
"People's right to choose what they eat and our right to earn a living are what we can never give up!" he cried, to which his supporters responded with shouts and drumrolls.
The group also demanded first lady Kim Keon Hee to remain neutral on the issue and listen to their side as well.
The remarks came after Kim held an unofficial luncheon with a dozen representatives of domestic animal rights groups in April, during which she reportedly promised to end dog meat consumption during President Yoon Suk Yeol's term.
Known as animal lovers who raise six dogs and five cats, the presidential couple has called for stronger punishment for animal abusers and pushed for the prohibition of dog meat consumption in the presidential election campaign platform.
Cho Hee-kyung, head of the Korea Animal Welfare Association who was among the attendees at Kim's meeting, told The Korea Times that although the first lady expressed sympathy with the need to ban the dog meat trade and encouraged like-minded advocates, there was no such promise of a related policy in Yoon's campaign platform.
Cho highlighted that national demand for dog meat is on the decline while the public perceptions of the trade are growing negative, urging legislative bodies to catch up with social change.
According to a government study last year, there are 1,150 dog farms in Korea raising over 520,000 dogs for consumption. The figure has dropped significantly by 35 percent compared to five years ago.
Dog meat consumption has also declined dramatically in recent years, many surveys show. Only 22 percent of Koreans consume or have consumed dog meat, while 13 percent said they plan to consume dog meat, according to a survey last year by Chun Myung-sun, a professor of veterinary medicine at Seoul National University.
An overwhelming 93 percent of respondents held negative views on dog meat consumption, while a relatively lower 64 percent agreed on the need for a dog meat ban, the survey showed.
The dog meat traders' group fails to represent the whole industry, according to Humane Society International (HSI) Korea, a local animal advocacy group that has closed down 18 dog farms and rescued over 2,700 dogs in Korea since 2015.
"The dog farmers with whom HSI Korea has worked over the years acknowledge all too readily that the market for dog meat has massively declined and so have their business prospects," the group said in a released statement. "It's time the dog farmers' association did likewise."
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